I

The Injustice League had begun to wreak havoc on the city of Metropolis not ten minutes ago before the Justice League had arrived, Batman leading the charge. They had come at a full-on assault, not bothering to waste a second before engaging in battle. The Dark Knight had taken reign of his team, sending each and every one of them to a certain Injustice League member to handle. All the while Metropolis' citizens were in disarray, some standing in the middle of the chaos only to be carried to safety by the Flash and the others who ran wildly around trying to find their bearings. Of course, there was always the occasional Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen who stood side by side in a coffee shop snapping pictures and taking notes.

"Jimmy! Are you getting this?!" Lois asked, pen beginning to write violently on her notepad, questions already forming in her head to ask.

"It's kind of hard not to Lois," He sighed, camera snapping pictures furiously. His eye squinted in concentration. Lois would kill him if he took pictures out of focus. He'd been working for her for a year now and knew better than to mess with Lois and her job. He took another shot before pulling the camera from his eye only to look at the scene before him. Flash was struggling to deal with random and clumsy citizens who were getting in the way of the fighting. He also had to deal with Killer Frost on his back which of whom Green Arrow was failing desperately to keep control of. Green Lantern looked to be doing well with Solomon Grundy but that was growing questionable at times. Said Lantern would knock down Grundy but it only seemed to make him angrier and stronger. All the while, Wonder Woman was trying desperately to keep down a furious Gigantica and Black Canary was trying to tame Cheetah who was having a great time messing with the bird. Elsewhere, Batman was trying valiantly to dodge Poison Ivy's vines which were exceptionally more efficient than he'd remember.

"Batman," Wonder Woman said into her com-link through gritted teeth as she continued to pull her lasso tightly around Gigantica's ankles," We are getting overwhelmed. I'd advise we call the others."

"I don't know how but they've severed our connection to the Watchtower," Batman grunted in response as he dived over another poisonous vine," Which confirms Lex's connection to this."

Suddenly Gigantica grabbed Wonder Woman, somehow unraveling herself from the lasso before slamming her into the already weakened asphalt. Her head, which had hit the ground harder than her body, began to spin from the impact

"Wonder Babe!" Flash shouted as he saw her head connect viciously to the ground. He ran to intercept the foot Gigantica was about stomp on Wonder Woman with, catching it within a second before spinning her out of balance. Flash took the moment to examine Wonder Woman, lifting her head cautiously from the asphalt and softly running his hands through her scalp. He saw her wince but when he brought his hand back he thanked God that there wasn't any blood.

After Frost aided Gigantica in rising they turned towards the Flash and Wonder Woman before taking advantage.

In the coffee shop, Jimmy slowed the rate at which he was taking pictures and looked at the fight with his own eyes," Lois, if I didn't know any better I'd say the Justice League was losing. . ."

"They'll come back, Jim, don't worry," She waved it off as Poison Ivy's vines wrapped up both Green Arrow and Batman.

"I don't know . . .," He sighed, wincing when he saw Solomon Grundy slam Green Lantern repeatedly on the ground.

"It'll make an epic underdog story," Lois continued on even as she watched Clayface envelope Atom. Her optimism didn't diminish even when Cheetah pounced on Black Canary. The Justice League was on the verge of defeat, all members on the ground either struggling for breath or consciousness. Wonder Woman saw multiples, trying valiantly to get up but Frost and Gigantica bullied her to the ground while keeping Flash grounded.

"You die," Whispered Gigantica to her before wrapping a hand around her throat. Said heroine tried desperately to escape the woman's grasp but it worked to no avail. She was too weak and her head still spun. The darkness began to close in around her, her eyes rolling slowly to the back of her head.

Then all of a sudden, sunlight broke through her eyelids. Her breath came back to her and her lungs heaved heavily, trying to process the sudden rush of welcomed oxygen. She caved in on herself and began to comfort her starving lungs, which burned with every breath she took. The pain began to subside as her breathing grew more even and her eyes peered open curiously and warily but was immediately blinded by the brightness of the sun. "Wha-?"

"Wonder Babe." She looked over to see the Flash hurrying to her side.

She groaned, rolling on her side, attempting to rise through the pain," I told you . . .To stop calling me that."

"Shh and look," Flash aided her and lifted her slightly so she could see what was going on. Her eyes had to adjust before widening at the sight. Gigantica had been tossed off of her and into the ground, now bound in Wonder Woman's lasso. Killer Frost sat unconscious on top of her. Something fast was moving, flying, almost matching the speed of Flash. Whatever this blur was, it was mowing down the Injustice League. It had moved towards where Batman and Green Arrow were wrapped in Ivy's vines. The blur made quick work of those with a red beam that seemed to come from its eyes. Both heroes dropped to the ground, gaining the breath they had lost. Ivy shouted, enraged, and she tried to capture the flying speedster with her vines. It simply blasted them with a red beam before moving to quickly knock her out. She fell into the blur before being dumped onto the pile of villains in the middle of the street. Cheetah didn't see it coming, making it so easy to take her out and her body was next to go into the pile. Clayface and Solomon Grundy were bigger though and more aware. They stood back to back, forgetting their earlier conquest.

"Show yourself!" Roared Grundy, smashing his fist violently into the ground.

"As you wish." A voice said and suddenly a man appeared before them in midair. Before Grundy could comment or think red beams bore into his chest before he felt himself being pummeled into Clayface. Then before anyone knew it, Grundy stood there, frozen, melded with Clayface's clay, turning them both into statues. The figure, which she know recognized as a man in a hood floated in the air, his arms lying lamely at his side and his legs in the position of flight. He seemed to be admiring his work, eyes working between the unconscious bunch lying on a crater in the ground and the frozen above it, a horrified Solomon Grundy melded into Clayface. All that was left was silence, shocked features gracing the many surrounding bodies. It was after a moment that a flash of a camera broke through silence and he sighed. Quickly, he adjusted his hood and began to float upwards.

"Wait!" Green Lantern began to fly after him but was shot back when the figure tore through the sky at supersonic speeds.

"Woah!" The Flash commented, fascinated. "He's fast."

People started to exit the buildings, hesitantly, wondering if the battle was truly over. They watched as the fallen Justice League began to rise from the debris. Flash aided Wonder Woman, slowly lifting her from the ground to not agitate her already burning lungs and splitting headache. Batman had Green Arrow's arm thrown over his shoulder which of whom walked with a limp.

"Lantern, contact Trevor," Batman said as they all converged around the fallen Injustice League," Tell him to come pick them up and transfer them to Arkham."

Green Lantern nodded, swooping down to help Black Canary to her feet.

"Let's regroup back at the Watchtower. Flash, escort Canary, Wonder Woman, and Arrow to the infirmary."

They all nodded in confirmation but before they could transport to the Tower, Lois came fumbling out of the coffee shop, questions already hurtling out of her mouth. Jimmy wasn't far behind but unlike Lois, he wasn't brazen enough to interview the Justice League after they just got their asses handed to them.

"Can you explain how the Injustice League escaped prison? Would you say someone is helping them from the outside? And who was the figure in the hood? Is he a secret of the Justice League?" She asked, tucking her notepad into her back pocket and pulling out a recorder.

"No interviews," Batman said through grit teeth and quickly transported them out.

"Dammit."

. . . . .

Justice League Watchtower –

"What the hell was that?" Bruce sighed, flopping down at the head of the conference table. Seeing the acting Chairman in his seat the rest of the League followed suite, taking their own designated chair. Viktor pulled up news feed on a holographic screen, enlarged it, and tossed it to the center of the room where every League member was able to see it. Unsurprisingly, footage of the fight was already airing on the news much to their dismay. It was a humiliating defeat. The Injustice League was seconds away from killing them, just seconds. It wasn't as if Bruce wasn't close to death before but this time he was with his team and that was more than what the whole world could spare.

"They were prepared," J'onn stated from his seat, poised, and watching the feed with attentive eyes. " Prepared for the team mainly. It is unlike them to be so . . . Tactful or a team players, by that matter."

After being cleared, Diana, Oliver, and Dinah walked into the room, making their way towards their respective seats.

"Forget that! Did you see that guy?!" Barry asked, practically jumping out of his seat. "He saved our asses but not only that but he disabled the Injustice League in less than a minute."

All the members watched the TV, watching the man move with speed and grace they've only seen the Flash conjure. In just a hood and jeans, he had taken down the Injustice League and the whole world had seen it. 'Mysterious Figure Saves Justice League And Defeats The Injustice League' was all over the news, on every channel, in every language, and every country. This new development was fairly questionable and Bruce crossed his arms over his chest in an agitated manner.

Roy appeared in the doorway, a holographic clipboard between his hands with a video dangerously close to the one the rest of the League was currently watching." It appears so . . . He froze Solomon Grundy in Clayface . . . You got to give him that."

"Hal." Bruce shot Barry and Roy a look that made Gotham thugs quiver on their knees before turning back towards the Green Lantern. "Did you get a tracker on him?"

"Yeah, for a moment," He answered before pulling up another screen and sliding it towards Bruce. Said man eyed it carefully, watching the red dot blink rapidly in one location. "He was moving so fast I didn't doubt it would detach any second. It landed somewhere in a small rural community in Kansas."

"Computer, cross reference images and videos related to today's news feed. Highlight and enhance anything matching the flying figure in the video." Bruce ordered. The computer did as told, pausing the TV, and pulling up holograms around the room, listing different videos, photos, and news articles relating to the mysterious flying figure. The League looked on around them, watching the videos and quietly scanning through articles and photos. The videos were fuzzy and unfocused even after the computer's enhancement, obviously captured on a type of phone. This guy, whoever he was, was strong and durable. Diana watched one video where he stopped a plane from crashing onto the landing, holding it from the underbelly and guiding it down to the strip. Oliver and Dinah were looking at another, where a man flew into a burning building and returning seconds later carrying a girl and her kitten. J'onn on the other hand was reading an article on the figure and his brows rose when he saw the word alien. Roy and Barry were on the edge of their seats while watching the man pummel a rogue military tank. Bruce looked on, seemingly unimpressed.

"You think he's metahuman?" Oliver asked, nodding at Roy.

"If he is, he's ridiculously powerful."

". . . Nothing the government will take lightly," Bruce stated before turning towards Diana, whom of which was engulfed in the videos of this new player. He tilted his head and took note before addressing her," Diana, do you think DOMA or ARGUS could hold off on tracking this individual before we do?"

Diana looked hesitant before nodding. "It may be difficult if ARGUS where to pursue it, along with General Lane and Colonel Trevor but I believe I can draw their attention away with the imprisonment of Injustice League long enough. What are you thinking, Bruce?"

"We need to find out more about him."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Diana, you, Hal, and Barry will continue to look for clues of this guy in Kansas. Meanwhile, I'm going to call Dick and Barbara to patrol Gotham while the rest of us handle the backlash of the Injustice League. Someone call in Shayera and ask her to contact Zatanna. We'll need a lot of hands on deck."

"Well, Toto, it looks like we're going to Kansas," Commented Barry with a smile, slapping Hal and Diana on the back in a friendly manner.

"Who is Toto?" Diana said, her face portraying that of confusion. "I don't recall Bruce assigning anyone else to come along."

Barry sighed. Hal spoke up first with a charming smile," It's a reference to a movie, a famous one for a dog named Toto . . . Maybe you can come see it with me sometime."

Out of nowhere appeared John, who slapped him in the back of the head. "You know she's with Trevor."

"Can't blame a guy for trying," He shrugged.

. . . . .

Smallville, Kansas –

A short period later. . .

"What happened to drawing less attention to ourselves, hmm?" A deep voice asked behind him with slight amusement laced behind his words.

"Shut up, Arthur."

He laughed and began to follow his companion farther into their home. The house itself was small but the amount of land they had inherited was massive on a scale. Much of it was just vegetation and forest. After Johnathon Kent had died no one had really put in effort to tame the ever growing forest. Not that they could. Martha had grown too old and weak, stuck in bed rest, never leaving the house only if to visit the hospital. That was only on the rare occasion. Her two boys had been taking care of her. Anyone could hardly call them boys but to Martha they were her boys and always would be. Some occupants of Smallville had been acquainted with them but nothing farther than that. Some would say their introverted but others believed they weren't on the right side of the law, so keeping to themselves was the answer.

Some people were so right.

"You made quite the impression," Arthur stated with a smile, hands sitting comfortably together behind his back. Ever so elegant thought his brother. "I wonder what mother will think of this."

"She'll think nothing of it," He said in a voice meant for warning." Cause she won't find out."

Arthur merely laughed again.

"Clark, she'll have your ass." With that Arthur dived in the small stream that led towards the house before taking off, his legs kicking at an increasingly fast rate. Clark growled and began to run, his long legs bounding across the fields with long, quick, strides. Of course, Arthur knew he couldn't beat Clark in a foot race but the water was another story.

"You son of a bitch, Arthur." Clark growled, pushing his legs faster, his eyes flicking between the old house and the asshole in the water. They made it in the house in record time, taking them seconds to run and swim three miles. Arthur practically lunged out of the water before running through the door. Clark with one last bound flew through the wide open door and tackled Arthur to the floor. With Arthur being so wet Clark couldn't get a tight hold on him so Arthur darted up the steps, two at a time. Clark flew and was going to tackle Arthur once more but was met with the face of his adoptive mother. He froze.

"Hey, ma." He said softly and looked to see a drenched Arthur sitting in a chair on the other end of the room with a smile on his hairy face.

"Clark, is that you making all that ruckus?" She asked weakly. He smiled at her, moving to kneel beside her bed.

"Yeah, sorry, ma, Arthur got water all over the place and I was slipping," Clark said and left Arthur gaping like a fish out of water. Martha reached out a hand, and stroked the beard forming on Clark's young face.

"Arthur Kent, go clean up that mess you made and dry off," She said sternly. Arthur stood to object but was silenced by the look on her face. Clark waggled his eyebrows at his adoptive brother who narrowed his eyes at him.

"Yes, mother," He grumbled under his breath and began to walk towards the door but not before shouting over his shoulder. "Clark went out and used his powers in Metropolis city! It's all over the news mother."

"Dammit Arthur," Clark growled, making move to rise but stopped when he felt a weak tug at the sleeve of his shirt. He looked at his mother who guided back down to sit on the edge of the bed. She gathered both his hands in hers and brushed back his wild hair from his face so she could look in his cerulean eyes. He winced. He wished so badly to feel her comforting touch but he could barely feel it at all.

"Is that true?" She asked.

He didn't attempt to lie and said," Yes."

Clark waited for the sound of disappointment.

"Did you kick their asses?" She asked.

He couldn't help the amused smile that formed on his face and nodded," You know it, ma."

"Look, Clark, we all know that I'm not going to be on this Earth for long . . .," She was trying to say but he interrupted her.

Clark shook his head at that and tightened his grip on her, careful of his strength," Stop, ma, don't say that."

"No, Clark, we have to face the truth here. I'm not as young as I used to be," She tried to laugh but it turned into a coughing fit. Letting one hand slip out of her grasp he quickly had a glass of water for her. With one last cough, she turned it down, pushing it away. He objected but eventually gave up when she gave him a stern look. "Your father would have never forgiven me if I lied to you about the real world, Clark. He'd scold me and make me feel guilty enough to bake him a dozen pumpkin pies."

"Yeah," Clark smiled softly at the memory," Pa loved himself some pumpkin pie now."

They both laughed softly. It faded and all that was left was a sad smile.

"He also would've had your Kryptonian butt for going out like that but . . . He also would've realized you're a man now and seeing that, that it is he would've told you to be who you wanted to be, to not let anyone define you or tell you who to be. You've grown into a handsome young man now . . . You and Arthur. You both are extraordinary and I know Johnathon would've been proud to see the man you and Arthur have become, as am I," She began to cough and Clark made a move to aid her but she held up her hand," No, no, I'm fine. Just listen. You choose whether to use your power or not but if you do . . . And Lord knows I can't stop you but all I ask of you is to use this power for good. People will fear you because they don't understand you; they won't understand your power. Be patient with them. To some you'll be a God and to others you'll be a terrorist. Show them Clark . . . Show them that you are none of those things, that you are nothing to be feared. If anything Clark, be their hope, their light, their protector, guardian . . . Their Superman."

He laughed and tried half-heartedly to catch the tears before they fell. She smiled at him and stroked his cheek with the pad of her thumb.

Soon enough Arthur came back up, dressed and dried before taking a seat on the other side of the bed. They talked for hours before their mother went to sleep about random things: whether or not if Arthur was doing his chores or skinny dipping in the lake, Clark's adventures and saving the Justice League which turned into the main topic before their mother fell to the grasps of sleep. After she did, Arthur tucked her in as Clark cleaned up the room, picking up fallen pill bottles and books that she's left strewn around the room. Once they were finished, they both kissed their mother on the forehead before leaving the room only to stand in the hallway, adjacent to each other.

Clark let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Why'd you do it?" Arthur asked out of nowhere.

"Do what?" Clark leant back on the wall, shoving his hands in his pocket.

"Save them . . . The Justice League," Arthur clarified.

"They needed help, simple as that. If I didn't interfere the Injustice League would've killed them."

Arthur laughed and patted Clark in the shoulder," A natural born hero, my brother."

Clark couldn't help but laugh as well before shoving Arthur back.

. . . . .

Smallville, Kansas –

Earlier that night . . .

"So, this is where the tracking beacon fell off at. Smallville, Kansas. He'll have to be within a ten to twenty mile radius of this place, right?" Hal asked, walking in the diner with Diana and Barry in tow. They tried not to take notice of the amount of people staring at them. Even while in civilian clothes they stuck out like a sore thumb. It didn't deter Hal though, he walked straight towards the bar before plopping down on one of the bar stools and picking up a menu. He motioned with his head for Diana and Barry to join him.

"What are we doing here?" Diana asked, taking her seat. "Aren't we supposed to be looking for someone?"

"We are, Diana, first, we must go undercover to get some information. Even if we were to fly around and try to find the guy he'd probably spot us and take off. We need to get a head start on him first," Hal answered, eyes never leaving the menu. Barry followed him and took a quick peak at the menu. Diana huffed.

"Well, hello there. I haven't seen you in town before. Travelers?" A waitress approached from behind the counter of the bar, flipping out a small notebook and finding a pen in her breast pocket before clicking it.

Hal smiled, that charming smile,"Why, yes, we are traveling. This is my wife, Vanessa, and my son, Jason. I'm Mark. My boy here got hungry and we saw this quaint little town so my wife and I decided it would be a nice place to stop by and get a bite to eat."

Hal put a hand on Diana's shoulder and squeezed. Diana rolled her eyes but caught along. Barry sat in between them, horrified.

"Oh, isn't that nice," The waitress smiled," Well, what would you like to eat?"

They all ordered and once the waitress turned around Diana grabbed Hal's hand and broke it.

"What the hell, Diana?" He looked over at her, trying to school his features.

"My mother would've cut off your hand. I merely broke it. Be thankful," She said in response.

"Why couldn't we just be brothers and sister?" Barry proposed with mild agitation at being introduced as their son. "I'm not that young you asshole."

"Fine," He held his hands up towards the two, conveying defeat," It'll be brother and sister next time but you got to admit, you look a little like Diana and I, Barry."

Before Diana could respond her phone began to ring. She got up from her seat to answer and walked towards the hallways that led to the bathroom.

"Hello?"

"Hey," She smiled at the voice and realized easily who it was," Are you ok? I heard about earlier today with the Injustice League."

"Yes, Steve, I'm fine. It was just a minor injury, thank Hera. And also thank you for asking," She responded, the smile on her face never leaving.

"I should be thanking the guy that saved you. Man, gov's been going crazy ever since he showed up. We got reporters banging on the front door asking who this guy is. Whether or not he's a 'secret weapon' or something. Crazy, right?"

"Crazy, indeed," She looked over at Hal and Barry who were motioning that their food had arrived.

"General Lane is assembling a task force to look for this guy."

At this Diana paused, brows furrowing," Does he have any leads?"

"Absolutely none but he's willing to pay people for info. If that doesn't work, he's thinking of other means . . . I don't think he's thankful of this guy like you and I."

"Well, men like General Lane only usually see through one perspective."

She could hear him chuckle on the other end of the line and she smiled at the sound.

"You're right," He agreed," Hey, I also wanted to see if we were still on for tonight. With the whole almost dying thing I thought you might've wanted to cancel."

"Of course not, Steve. We are still on," She smiled brightly.

"I'll pick you up at the Embassy at eight?"

"Oh, no, I can't. I'm . . .," She questioned whether to tell him that the Justice League was looking for this man as well." . . . I'm with DOMA at the moment and we're trying handle the whole Injustice aftermath."

She winced at the lie.

"I don't know how long the meeting will take . . . But I'll meet you there," She said.

"Of course." She could hear his smile and couldn't help but smile herself. "I'll text you the address."

"Alright, Steve. Bye."

"Bye."

She hung up and made her way back towards her seat to find the waitress and Hal in a deep conversation. Hal looked to her before nodding towards the waitress. Diana took that as a sign to listen and did so as she began to dig into her food.

"So tell me about this Kent farm," Hal stated, digging into his food.

"Well, none of us know that much about it. Johnathon and Martha Kent own the farm, well, forgive me, owned. You see Johnathon died some years ago. God rest his soul. Sacrificed himself for a pup."

Hal nodded solemnly," Sounds like a great man . . ."

"Oh, he was," The waitress nodded," Anyway, Martha though, she's still alive. Runs the farm with her two boys, Clark and Arthur. Well, it's more like they run the farm. Martha's sick, can't get out of bed. Those sweet boys take care of her. I met them once or twice. They came by here, hungry as bears I tell you. They're about the size of bears, anyway."

The waitress laughed. Hal sent Diana and Barry a look.

"Would you say they're kind people?" Diana asked.

"As far as I know, yes. They don't come into town as often as you think they would and even if they did they don't talk to anyone. Too busy on that darn farm. I wish they did though, they are most definitely not bad to look at," She smiled before leaning in and whispering," Some of the towns folk believe they're criminals."

"Why's that?" Hal asked, elbowing Barry in the elbow when he was practically scarfing down his food at a fast rate. He slowed down.

"They simply don't interact with anyone and keep to themselves. They stay on that farm but people are already calling it a lost cause. Why do two boys spend so much time on a farm when there are no crops? They have animals, sure, but they take care of themselves on their own."

"What were their names again?" Diana asked, taking the last sip of tea from her cup. The waitress asked if she'd like a refill but Diana politely refused.

"Clark and Arthur Kent. Martha took them in at a young age. She was so kind to take in two young boys like that and raise them up as her own."

"Wait," Hal stopped," Took them in? They were adopted?"

"Yes, Martha found Clark practically at her doorstep and John found Arthur floating in a crib on the shore of the Atlantic when they went on vacation."

"They sound like such kind people," Diana commented with a smile. The waitress was going to continue when a patron from another table called her over.

"Well, I have to go it seems. It was nice meeting you folks."

"And to you as well," Hal smiled.

She walked off.

"So," Barry gulped down a large bite," Are we checking it out?"

"Seeing as she adopted these two I'd say it's worth it. Something seems off about it all, you know. Diana, you in?"

"Seeing as I'm here with you two, isn't it kind of obvious?" Diana responded. Hal held up his hands in defense. "Sorry. I just need to be somewhere soon."

"And where's that?" Barry burped.

"None of your business," She stated.

"Mhm. Let's go you two." Hal threw the money on the table and quickly drank the last sip of his coffee.

. . . . .

Kent Farm –

Later that evening. . .

Diana, Hal, and Barry had arrived at the Kent Farm later that evening. They took the liberty of transporting through flight and flew high enough that no one would notice. It took them longer than usual as both Barry and Hal argued over who was going to carry who. Barry had wanted Diana to carry him, Diana had proposed for Hal to carry him, and Hal didn't want to carry anyone. In the end, Diana's frustration took over and she took off with Barry in her arms.

Now, they walked down the straight path that led to the house.

"Hal, you check the barn. Barry, check the field. I'll go see if anyone's home. If you get nothing we'll meet back here at the gate."

They all nodded before separating.

Diana . . .

She marched up the steps of the home, the steps creaking under her weight. She winced at the sound and decided to fly up the rest before approaching the door. She brought up her hand to knock but hesitated. How would she approach this? Calmly? Diplomatically? Or force him to talk? Well, it most definitely wouldn't be the latter.

"I suppose I'll act accordingly," She thought to herself before giving a firm knock. She wouldn't have expected the door to open. Either she knocked too hard or the door was already ajar. She placed her hand on the door and pushed it open farther to get a better look. To her surprise, the place was kept well. She was honestly expecting a mess with two boys looking after the place. Walking in further, she looked around. It was simple with rustic furnishings but there was beauty in its simplicity. Diana ran her fingertips over a table filled with different pictures. One had caught her eye. She picked it up. It was two boys and she averaged their age to be around twelve. One was shoulder deep in a lake with long dirty blonde hair and smiling brightly at the camera. Next to him was another boy with black hair that didn't travel past his ears compared to the other blonde boy whose hair was almost touching his shoulders. Unlike the other boy, this one was crouching down next to the one in the lake with a sort of witty smile. Diana turned the picture over to find something written on the back.

Clark and Arthur – First Swimming Lessons

She turned the picture back over and glanced at it once more before setting it back down. Her eyes skimmed over the rest of the photos, seeing similar pictures of the boys together throughout the years. The pictures abruptly ended with them as teenagers. There were no pictures of them as adults. Diana thought that interesting. Then something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She moved towards the little counter top to see a ton of letters, all regarding medical bills. Diana shifted through them. All of them were about treatments and payments. None of them opened. Some of them were ripped straight down the middle, some were burned, and luckily some were still intact. It didn't take a detective to see that the treatments these hospitals were offering were very expensive and by the looks of the place Diana was in, it didn't seem as if they had the money. She continued to skim through the letters but was interrupted when she heard something fall upstairs.

She tilted her head and proceeded to float upstairs.

Barry. . .

Barry was exploring the grounds and he had to admit there was a lot of ground to cover. There'd been nothing but corn, everywhere. Of course there was the forest and lake behind the barn but Hal had that part covered. He was just exploring what seemed to be an endless field of vegetables. Nothing but cob after cob after cob, he sighed. He decided to make things fun and see how many times he could run the entire grounds. He nodded to himself and took off. A smiling came to his lips as he felt the wind rush against his skin. There was nothing but field. This was an ideal place for him and dreamed to have a place like this to himself.

Abruptly his thoughts and run were interrupted.

There was someone up on that hill, standing over what seemed to be a single grave. From the distance Barry was he could tell the person was male and most definitely built. He was tall as well, Barry noted. Maybe this was the guy from earlier. Of course the guy from earlier had a hood on but Barry compared them both and their bodies seemed the same. He seemed to be having a moment. Mourning maybe, Barry thought but then the figure's head snapped up and he looked towards a certain direction. When Barry blinked the figure was gone.

He made a move to contact Diana and Hal through the com-link but for some odd reason it was jammed. Barry looked around frantically. He had to find Diana and Hal immediately but soon realized that he was in unknown territory.

"Oh, shit." He was lost.

Hal. . .

Hal yawned before stretching his arms. The meal from earlier was catching up to him. Now he desperately wished to take a nap. Yes, he nodded; a nap would be incredibly nice. He scratched his stomach as he continued to search the barn. He thought it trivial. There was obviously no one there as far as he could tell. No one but cows. He had searched through every stall and behind every hay bale. He had even searched the attic which had been turned into a bedroom. There was nothing but books, some clothes, shoes, and a bed in there, nothing that would've led them to the person he was looking for. The only thing he found interesting was a big ass trident that lie against a wall with all the other tools. He had played with it for a little bit, spinning it in his hands and tossing it into a bale of hay. It went straight through and lodged itself in the barn wall. Hal winced and quickly grabbed the trident before setting it back to its original place.

He was about to call Diana and Barry when something, more like someone had caught his eye.

There was someone standing on the dock of the lake, looking over it. It was man with long, blonde hair, and a very muscular back, Hal noticed. He couldn't see anything farther than the back but he noticed that the man might have the same build as the guy who saved them but didn't look the same. Hal was beginning to walk towards the man but before he could do anything, the man dived in the water.

Nothing out of the ordinary with a man swimming, Hal thought, so he decided to wait on the edge.

Diana. . .

She was on the second floor of the Kent home and zeroed in on where the sound had come from. Diana stood in front of the door. Something felt off about all this and she was hesitant to go in the room. Why? She didn't know. Hell, she didn't even know what was behind the door. It took her a minute to remember that she was the Princess of Themyscira, Champion, and Daughter of Queen Hippolyta. With a burst of energy, she opened the door with no hesitation.

What she found could not have been predicted.

An old lady, which she assumed to be Martha Kent had accidentally knocked over a glass of water and was struggling massively to get it. She had still been lying down and was reaching with one arm, hoping to grasp the glass. Diana approached slowly, hoping not to scare the woman.

"Hello?" She tried. "Mrs. Kent?"

Martha looked up from what was she was trying to do and smiled at her guest. "Oh, hi . . . I wasn't expecting any visitors today. Neither Clark nor Arthur told me of any . . . Well none that I recall. It must've slipped my mind which I must say is not as good as it used to be. Are you with Arthur? He's been telling me about a young girl he'd met recently. Oh, I forget her name."

Diana smiled in return," No, Mrs. Kent. I cannot say I am with Arthur."

Martha's smile got brighter," So you must be with Clark? Oh, isn't that wonderful. I've been hoping he'd bring a woman for me to meet one day. He's always been so brooding and lonely. I've honestly wanted him to have someone other than just Arthur and I for company."

If this was the only way she was going to get answers then so be it. She walked closer and couldn't keep the smile off her face," Ah, yes. I was looking for Clark but when I was looking I heard something fall up here."

"Yes, I'm sorry, I was trying to reach for my glass of water but then I accidentally knocked it over."

Diana looked at the cup on the floor. " Let me help you with that, Mrs. Kent."

"Please, call me Martha."

Diana grabbed some nearby towels and began to wipe the mess up while placing the cup on the nightstand. Once done with that, Diana threw the towel away before rising from her crouching position. She then poured Martha another glass of water before handing it to her.

"Here you are, Martha," She smiled kindly. " I'm Diana."

"Thank you, Diana," Martha took the offered cup before taking a sip. She then set the cup on the nightstand before adjusting herself on the bed.

"Might you be able to tell me where Clark might be?" Diana asked. "I've been looking everywhere for him."

"He's usually in the barn at this time, working on that damn truck. Stubborn as he is, he won't stop," Martha laughed but soon it turned into a coughing fit. She covered her mouth and turned her head from Diana.

Diana, being the kind spirit that she is, stepped closer and laid a hand on Martha's shoulder," Are you alright?"

"As best as anyone could be at my age." She continued to cough.

All those unopened letters popped into Diana's head. "Clark's been telling me about your condition. He says it's gotten worse. He said he can't afford treatment."

She would most definitely scold herself for her choice of actions later. She could practically see Bruce's smirk right now. She doesn't even begin to dream of what her mother would think.

"If only," Martha sighed.

"What do you mean?" Diana asked, concern lacing her voice. She had only known this woman for a short period of time and she had found herself caring for this woman's wellbeing. Bruce would call her naïve. The bastard, she thought. She turned her attention back towards Martha.

"You can't cure dying, sweetheart. I'm getting old. Simple as that. Clark's stubborn self refuses to believe that."

Diana only to hear such news but to also feel something shift behind her. She thought she had met wall at first but she was surprised to find this wall breathing, breathing heavily at that she noticed. She could feel the wall's chest move with every deep and angered breath it took. She could most definitely tell whatever or whoever was behind her was livid. You simply do not impose on someone's personal space with the intent to say hello, she deduced. Not only could she feel its chest move against her back but she could also feel it's breath on her neck; it's heavy, warm, breath as it rustled the small hairs there. It's warmth enveloped her, something she wasn't familiar with, the sense of being taken over. And it's scent was wild, filling her senses and almost making her go dizzy. If she hadn't known any better she'd say the wall behind her was a beast, some sort of monster. No, she recognized. It wasn't.

She turned around.

It was just a very enraged man.

"Oh, Hera." She whispered under her breath as her connected with a very defined chest. She noticed all too quickly how her eyes had to travel up, something she wasn't accustomed to. Standing in front of her was a six foot, five inch, livid man. He was barely an inch away from her and she was so very conscious of that fact. She could feel every fiber of muscle on him that pulled and flex at the rage coursing through him. The heat and warmth she felt radiating off of him added on to the effect of his anger. His hands were clenched into fist and she feared he'd impale his hands with his own nails if he clenched his hands any harder. Her eyes moved on towards his hairy jaw which was clenched and locked in a tight angle that practically dripped with anger. He almost looked set in stone with that look. It didn't help that she had to look up at the man to meet his eyes, which were, to her surprise, red. His irises weren't just red; his whole entire eye was red and beaming. She honestly hadn't predicted the fascination that bore through her. He was probably expecting her to fear him. With that thought, she could feel her own agitation prickling at the thought that he'd dare try to frighten an Amazon, nonetheless the champion. She tilted her chin higher, a wave of unfamiliarity hitting her once more at the act, and returned his gaze dead on with determination.

"Oh, Diana, it seems you found him." Martha commented from her spot on the bed. From the angle she was at she couldn't see past Diana. She could only see Clark's wild and untamed hair.

Their eyes never left the others.

"Yes, Martha, it seems I have."

"Clark, your girlfriend and I were just talking about you," Martha commented, completely oblivious to the bubbling anger boiling between the two. The only thing preventing them from going at it right now was the fact that Martha was in the room.

Whoever this Clark was didn't miss a beat, Diana noticed.

"Hey, ma," He said through teeth that never separated,"Diana and I must go. I had promised to show her the lake behind the barn."

"Oh, of course," Martha waved off with a smile," You two lovebirds go on . . . And Clark if you find Arthur tell him to come see me. By the way, Diana it was so nice to meet you. You should come by more often."

Diana schooled her features before turning around to address Martha again with a smile," It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Martha."

. . . . .

Elsewhere. . .

Barry had finally managed to find Hal sitting near the edge of the lake, snaking on an apple he'd manage to find. Hal glanced at the speedster before taking a big bite out of his apple. He looked hysterical, Hal noticed.

"What's up, Barry?" Hal asked. "And why are you running? Why didn't you just contact me through coms?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you . . .," Barry was steadily trying to take deep breaths. He was bent over, hands on his knees, and trying to breathe through his nose.

Hal laughed," Out of breath, speedster?"

Barry was out of breath but not for the reason Hal thought. "No . . . Hal, you don't understand . . ."

"Just spit it out," Hal rushed, taking another big bite out of his apple.

Barry took in a deep breath," I saw someone . . ."

"What? Where?" Hal stood at this and began to look around. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Hell, why didn't you tell me through coms?"

Barry rolled his eyes before growing frustrated," Shut up, Hal! For fuck's sakes! What I'm trying to tell you is that I saw someone who look just liked the guy who saved us. I was going to contact you through coms but somehow their jammed. The guy took off before I could do anything. I knew something was up so I ran all throughout the fields looking for you and Diana."

Hal's amusement from earlier immediately fell and concerned graced his features.

"That's odd . . . ," Hal turned to look back at the water," I just saw someone –"

Suddenly a man began to rise from the water before them with a trident in his hand, looking royally pissed. Hal recognized the trident from earlier and now began to look at the man wielding it.

"Oh, shit," Barry whispered as large scaly tails whipped out of the water to yank him and Hal into it.

. . . . .

Meanwhile. . .

She found herself being slammed harshly into a tree by none other than the six foot six caveman. He had barely been able to contain his anger when they both walked out of the house and Diana had been mildly impressed by the amount of self-control he carried with him. It was that or the fact that he didn't want to be anywhere near his mother when he was like this, Diana thought. He had begun to walk towards the dense thick forest located behind the barn but not before at least decimating one thick tree with his fist. That didn't deter her steady pace alongside him though; she was set on showing that she did not fear him. They had continued to walk, farther and deeper into the forest, and Diana had grown curious as to when they'd stop and actually talk. The silence was deafening but she had taken the time to admire nature's beauty all around her. It had been awhile since she had set foot out of the city and part of her had missed the greenery. She had looked up to see a group of birds fly overhead. Diana had to admit, everything was so serene with the exception of the fuming man walking next to her. It was increasingly evident when she felt two hands grab her hips and throw her against the trunk of a tree.

Two arms, almost the size of the tree trunk behind her had surrounded her from either side and two blue cerulean eyes stared deeply and angrily into her own.

"I am warning you, right now, next time you set foot on my property or tell my mother lies nonetheless talk to her I will become the threat your team believes me to be." He said. Diana had no doubt that if she were some other ordinary woman she'd be shook by the baritone of his voice. She simply was not.

"I doubt you brought me all the way out here just to warn me," As she said this, her sword began to materialize in her hand. He moved to grab the hand which held the sword but was knocked back through the air when a shield materialized on the opposite arm.

She watched as he landed into a large tree and they both went tumbling onto the ground.

He groaned, wiping at his nose when he felt something wet trickle down onto his lip. He looked to see the blood before his eyes flickered towards the shield and sword she had wielded. Diana couldn't hear all of it but she could see that he said something about magic. She began to walk towards him and he watched, his mouth slightly agape as her Wonder Woman armor began to materialize on her body.

"As you wish, princess."

. . . . .

Elsewhere. . .

A crocodile had Barry and Hal in a choke hold under water, preventing the two from swimming to the top. The two were thrashing about wildly, attempting to fight off the beast when they both knew they didn't possess the strength to do so.

So, in other words, they were screwed.

. . . . .

Meanwhile. . .

It had begun to rain on them, making the dirt underneath them slowly transform to mud.

Their battle was of epic proportions and the rain did nothing to deter them in their fight. With every clash, thunderous sounds echoed throughout the night, his heat vision even emitting a screeching sound when it made contact with her shield. They fought with equal amounts of strength and fervor but soon enough she found his flaw. He didn't know how to fight hand-to-hand which would explain why he continued to try to get her in grappling and wrestling positions which she effortlessly escaped. She could tell by his attacks that he was growing angrier. It only made him sloppier. He depended on brute strength while she used a combination of all her skills. Which ultimately led to his fall. He watched with wide red eyes as she descended down onto him, using her shield to send him back down to Earth.

He knelt down in the middle of the crater. It took him a minute to rise which surprised him to say in the least. He looked up at the edge of the crater when he heard the smacking of boots in mud to see her standing there in all her royal glory. His hair, separated in parts, dangled uselessly in front of his face, slightly blinding his view. The same went for his long sleeved grey Henley which was a size too big and hung loosely onto his body. His pants and boots were already ruined with the amount of water and mud covering them.

She looked down at him from the edge of the crater and lightning cracked across the sky behind her.

They both knew who the better was.

With a sigh of defeat, he propped his foot on the uphill of the crater and held his hand out towards her. He was conceding, she noted. She tilted her head at that. For the short amount of time she'd known him she wouldn't have expected him to give up. She was slightly disappointed that the fight was over; he was such a formidable opponent she thought. Looking into his eyes, she finds his cerulean eyes genuine and soon offers him her hand.

To be quite honest, he might've known she was better but that didn't prevent him from trying.

She watched as his eyes slowly turned back to red.

He yanks her down into the crater causing her to land on her back. Standing over her, he yanks the shield from her arm and tosses it out of sight. He means to grab her sword next but she rolls over, making sure to trip him in the process before stabbing it in his lower stomach. She stands immediately, preparing herself for another attack. He roars in pain and she's startled by the ferocity of it. To her surprise, he yanks the sword out immediately and tosses it like he did the shield but in another direction. Using the distraction to his advantage, he grabs her ankle and pulls. He uses his super speed to stagger to his feet to slam her on the ground. She lands unceremoniously into the mud.

Whatever energy he had diminishes and the pain sets in. He stumbles to the ground next to her, hand clutching his wound.

And for a while, they just laid there, letting the rain fall down upon them.

. . . . .

Meanwhile. . .

Green Lantern emerged from the water with a crocodile in his arms with the Flash latched onto its tail.

"Flash, let go of it!" Hal demanded, struggling to hold both.

"But then I'll end up in the water where there's more!"

"You can outswim them, you dimwit!"

Arthur couldn't help but laugh at their banter from his position in the water, his hand mindlessly stroking the underbelly of another croc.

. . . . .

Elsewhere. . .

A groan came from her left and she looked to see this Clark rising, hand clutching his side. Diana growled low in her throat before tackling the man. It was a weak tackle because of her sore back but enough to put him on his ass. Both Diana and Clark then began to wrestle for dominance on the ground. At this, Diana noticed, he was more proficient at compared to hand-to-hand. He had somehow managed mid-tackle to gain the upper hand and get on top. Without hesitance, she head butted him. Great Hera, she had groaned. She regretted that immensely but it seemed to have some effect on the thick skull of his, giving her a moment to crawl away from his grasp. She had gotten nowhere in the time it had taken for him to get back up. She tried to kick his chest but he had grabbed her ankle and dragged her towards him. Diana attempted to back hand him. He dodged easily and grabbed her wrist. With her other free hand, she grabbed a nearby branch only for it shatter into multiple pieces against his head. It did absolutely nothing to faze the beast.

With a growl erupting from his throat, he grabbed both of her wrists and pinned them above her head. He then moved to straddle her, sufficiently pinning her down with his hips. That did nothing to deter her will as she continued to struggle against him, fighting with her all to get him off her.

He grunted when he felt the heel of her shoe digging into his butt. "Stop fighting."

Lightning cracked across the sky and the rain seemed to fall harder against them.

"Never," She said through grit teeth and continued to try and free herself from him. Diana tried again for another head butt. He moved back, avoiding her attempts and took the time to watch her thrash about uselessly, frowning while she did so.

"Your pride is blinding you, princess. The fight is over," He said to her in a calm voice, as if they hadn't destroyed the forestry surrounding them in an attempt to outmatch each other. Still watching with her with slight indifference and confusion, he wasn't surprised to see her brows furrow in anger.

"How dare you, you wretched man?" She spat at him and bucked her hips in an attempt to throw him off. He grunted but didn't budge. "You started this fight-"

"And now I'm finishing it," He stated firmly, gripping her wrist tighter for emphasis. They were so close, Diana noted and she wasn't naïve to not know what kind of position they were in. She recognized it from some of the books she read but it was usually the other way around with the woman's legs wrapped around the man. It was odd to her. She had never been in an intimate position like this, not even with Steve. They'd share a shy kiss every now and then, a hug or two but that was all. To have this man on top of her in such a way sent a slight blush to her cheeks. She could feel the growing familiarity of his warmth, even with the cold rain, and the strength of his body as he breathed heavily against her. To be in close proximity with such a strong not to mention handsome being, it sent a new sensation through her, one she could not recognize. It didn't help that his soaked and shredded clothing had hung haphazardly onto him. His Henley shirt was hanging on to him by a loose thread and his jeans, were gratefully just cut down into shorts with rips here and there. He had noticed but hadn't been bothered by it. She on the other hand was another story. His sweaty, wet, hairy body had some kind of effect on her but she couldn't find the right word to describe it. His nearly wet naked chest which brushed against her own with every breath he took didn't help her lost for words. She sighed. Hera, if her mother saw her now.

He seemed oblivious to her thoughts but he wasn't oblivious to the blush creeping on her cheeks and the way she wouldn't make eye contact with him. With his free hand, he grasped her chin and forced her to look him dead in his eyes. He began to say, "I shall rise off of you . . . And then you will leave and never come back."

With one final glance into her eyes he rose from her and began to walk away.

". . . And if I chose not to leave?" She shouted back before rising herself, using one hand to push the wet strands of her hair out of her face.

He continued to walk at his steady, calm, pace. She found it undoubtedly endearing.

"I won't hold back next time, princess."

"If you believe me incapable of taking you in a real fight then you are sorely mistaken."

He paid her no heed and continued to walk but soon paused, his ears flicking upwards. His hearing zeroed in on the sounds of screaming and gunshots. He looked up at the storm clouds and sighed. Diana watched on in silent admiration as he used his heat vision to mar his flesh together, not even wincing when doing so.

"Rao," He breathed in and took off into the skies, making sure to stay close to the ground but high enough to avoid the trees. Much to his dismay, she was behind him. He growled low in his throat, he had no time to tell her empty threats. It was useless and she, he thought, was utterly insufferable. He tried desperately to avoid her on the short trip but it was so difficult. She was so close to him. It was irritating but he didn't find himself doing anything about it.

A moment later, they arrived on the scene. Bank robbery, Clark noticed. Twenty hostages. Seven assailants, all equipped with pump action shot guns. Cops were surrounding the building. One point of entry.

Diana watched with intense curiosity as to what he would do next. His eyes were moving frantically as he played every possible scenario in his head.

Then, before she knew it, he was gone.

She looked towards the bank. He was in there and was out within seconds. The criminals sat outside the bank, gagged and tied together. The police had slowly lowered their guns, obviously confused as to what happened before taking action. They split, some moving to check in with the hostages and others moving to cuff the criminals who were just as confused as the officers. She smiled in slight amusement but was startled out of it when she was met with a pair of blue, agitated, eyes. Diana met him head on, challenging him. She was growing tired of his scare tactics.

"I'm not leaving you until I get what I came here for," She said firmly defiant. Any effect she had on him, he didn't display in his features.

His eyes narrowed. "I hope you know my brother is drowning your friends."

She tilted her head. "They can handle themselves."

He floated closer to her before growling, "Leave. Me. Alone."

"I only wish to talk, Mr. Kent," She sighed. She wasn't going to give up and he knew it. He was growing frustrated with fighting her and tired as well. It was honestly the first time he thought that. He'd never grown tired before and it was a new experience he didn't want to indulge in. He began to fly back home, she followed swiftly with a victorious smile.

. . . . .

Moments later. . .

"Ten minutes," He said gruffly as he ascended the ladder to the attic. She simply floated alongside him much to his annoyance. Diana was curious as to where they were headed until she saw the bed. The caveman's room she thought. She tried to stand to her full height but kept hitting her head on the ceiling. She looked to see how he was positioned and followed suite. He had his back turned to her but still failed to hide his snort of amusement. She narrowed her eyes towards his back.

"How do you manage this place?" She asked, noting the books that lay everywhere and the clothes that hung loosely on the dresser. It was a mess but looked like a purposeful one at that. She looked around a little more and picked up one of the books that lie on the floor. She read the title, How To Kill A Mockingbird.

"Sorry, if it isn't like your royal quarters, princess," He said and she was going to chastise him but lost the words as soon as he pulled his ruined shirt off and tossing it away. It was like someone knocked the breath out of her. He was stripping before her and she found it incredibly hard to tear her eyes away. It was like he was carved out of stone and was given flesh. He was so rigid and sinewy. He was built like a god but Diana was sure she would've heard of one on Earth. Maybe something of a young Adonis, she questioned. He was just so large, taller than her in fact which she wasn't accustomed to. She found her bottom lip caught on her teeth when she saw his shoulders flex violently as he jerked the dresser open. It wasn't like she hadn't seen a muscular body before. She saw plenty after training sessions at the Watchtower and occasionally at the public gym. This Clark Kent had put them all to shame, including Steve.

By the Gods, Steve.

He turned slightly towards her when he heard her heartbeat spike above its normal pace. His brow raised and she felt her heart thud violently against her chest when she saw eight rows of hard muscle line his stomach.

"Hera, help me." She breathed, trying desperately not to follow the trail of lightly wet hair going down the middle of his abdomen." Wha-What are you doing?"

"You ruined my clothes."

He was making it exceedingly difficult for her. With every move he made caused a ripple of muscle to flex among the smooth expanse of his skin. Of course, he was almost oblivious to her struggle, only picking up on the intakes of breath and her ragged heartbeats. Shaking his head, he opened his drawer to see a pair of black jeans.

She watched as he pushed his ruined pants down.

Immediately, she turned around, horrified, and began to float down to the bottom floor.

"Shy are we, princess?" She could hear the amusement behind his voice and wished that she had something to throw at him. The insufferable beast, she thought.

"Will you stop calling me princess? You know my name, use it," She demanded, slightly frustrated with herself for letting this caveman affect her in such a way.

"And if I don't?" He shot back and she could hear the familiar sound of a zipper.

". . . I could simply tell the world of your existence, from out previous encounters I suspect that it would displease you greatly." She'd never stoop to such a low but he didn't know that and it was evident when she found herself against a wall with a half-naked man standing less than an inch in front of her, his eyes blazing red and his muscles twitching with obvious anger. It instantaneously faded when he felt a cool pressure land on his bare chest. Looking down, he was almost surprised to see her hand, pressing up against the center of his chest and almost choked on the air he was breathing. It took a moment for his mind to register that her hand was on his chest. He froze. He could feel her; feel her skin on his own. He hadn't realized it earlier when they were fighting because she had mainly been using the shield and sword but now, nothing was separating them. He could feel the cold emanating from her hand, feel the small indentations of her fingers and the slight piercing of her perfectly manicured nails. He could feel the rush of her blood through her veins and he almost fell before her on his knees from his knees being so weak. He had to adjust his stance repeatedly to keep from falling against her, moving his hands farther from her head and bringing him slightly closer to her. Rao, he breathed, trying to savor the feel of their current situation, almost groaning in satisfaction.

To be quite honest, Diana only did it because she had the idea that he was going to attack her once more and her instincts kicked in. She hadn't realized she'd done it until it was noticeable on his face and how tense he turned. Nevertheless she couldn't help but feel the strong beat of his heart beating against her palm, the warmth of his skin, the rough material of the light coating of hair, and the way his chest moved with each heavy breath he took. Hera, she breathed and immediately tried to retract her hand. Tried and failed, he had grabbed her wrist and brought it up to his face. She could tell he wasn't simply looking at it by the way his eyes traveled over it. He looked intrigued, fascinated in a way and Diana wondered what he was seeing. What was so interesting about it, she'd pondered. She held back the shiver when she felt the pads of his fingers run down the length of her fingers and the base of her palm.

She cleared her throat before asking, "What are you doing?"

His eyes shot from her hand to her eyes. "Seven more minutes, princess, I suggest you use them wisely."

Hesitantly and with yearning, she noticed, he let go of her hand and backed away. Finally, Diana began to take back the breath he had stolen from her.

He grabbed the plaid, button-up, shirt he had dropped earlier and threw it on his shoulders. A sigh of relief came from behind him and he couldn't help the slight smirk that tugged at his lips.

"So, Mr. Kent," She continued and he rolled his eyes.

"Clark."

She seemed to adjust to the name before continuing," Why do you keep calling me . . . Princess or is that your usual representation of a woman?"

He stared at her for a moment, buttoning up the last few buttons. "Cause you are one."

"How do you figure?" She asks and listened intently. If he didn't know any better he'd say she was interested in his answer.

"I took an interest in you."

She paused, hesitating before asking, "You mean the Justice League?"

"No." He shook his head with a slight frown.

She raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

His eyes never strayed from her. Diana had never met someone with such intense eyes apart from Batman but something about this Clark Kent was different. He wasn't trying to intimidate her, just simply looking at her. "Are these the questions you really want to be asking me?"

She was so tempted to whip out her lasso.

"It seems that these are the questions you don't want to answer," She shot back with a new air of confidence and moved from her position on the wall, crossing her arms in the process. "So, yes, Clark, these are the questions I really want to ask."

He fought the small smile tugging at his lips and let his eyes drift elsewhere.

"I did my research. It wasn't hard figuring out that Diana Prince was Wonder Woman especially since the only thing dividing the two is a pair of glasses. You two arrived around the same time as well. And seeing as Diana Prince is the head of the Themysciran Embassy that not only represents the Amazons that inhabit Themyscira but also matters that involve Wonder Woman. Add some research on your culture and mythology and everything just . . . connects," He begins to move farther into the barn, picking up miscellaneous items as he does so and throwing a dirty towel over his shoulder. Diana followed closely behind. He turned for a brief second, catching a bit of worry in her eyes. He didn't know what it was but something in him wanted to ease her worries. "Don't worry, princess, I don't care enough about your secret to tell anyone. . . "

She breathed out a sigh of relief. He continued, "My taking an interest in you . . . Well, to see someone with similar powers as my own not being persecuted or hated was in a way comforting."

They arrived at old beaten blue truck. The wheels were missing and a significant part of the engine lie on the ground. She watched as he grabbed a hook which connected to a conveyer belt and attached it to the piece on the ground. He dusted his hands on his jeans, wiping the slick grease he had contracted and went towards a handmade pulley system. Using one hand, he pulled along one of the chains, lifting the car piece from the ground and letting it hover six feet above the ground.

"What do you mean persecuted?" She asked, she had accepted his answer but couldn't understand where he'd come from.

His shoulders slumped as soon as the question left her lips but didn't respond.

"Is that why you choose to hide?" She watched him with every question and knew she'd receive every answer through his body language alone. "You're afraid that if you come out of hiding people will be afraid . . . That they'll persecute you?"

No response.

She began to reduce the distance between them and his shoulders tensed. "I'm sure that if you turn yourself in, the Department of Metahuman Affairs will aid yo-."

"Yeah, but that would imply that I'm human," He said finally, turning towards her, "Which I'm not."

It took a moment for Diana to digest but then she understood.

"You're not from this planet, are you?" She asked.

He simply shook his head in response before shoving his hands into his pockets.

"That would explain a lot," She tried and was rewarded with a small smile that she could tell he hadn't meant for her to see. He ducked his head and with one hand scratched the back of his head. For some odd reason she found it adorable.

"Is your brother an alien as well?"

"No."

She shifted and his eyes flicked towards her, "What planet are you from . . .?"

His jaw clenched and instead of looking down at his feet like before he looked towards the window where rays of sunlight were projected into the barn and shown on him. He closed his eyes for the briefest moment and let the rays shine on him. If he didn't have a shirt on Diana would've been able to see his wound fully heal, mending itself back together the right way. Slipping his hand under his shirt, he felt for the marred flesh but only came in contact with smooth skin. Diana noticed. She didn't bother to question it though; she was already reaching far enough. They both knew it was past seven minutes. He was indulging her; she didn't want to take advantage of that.

Breathing in, he turned back towards her with brighter eyes, "Krypton."

"Why aren't you there?"

"It was destroyed."

Before she could respond her phone rang, loudly, and he narrowed his eyes at her hip where the annoyance came from. His head tilted and he used his x-ray vision to see the Caller ID. His brows furrowed when he saw the name Steve Trevor.

"Excuse me a moment," She said, holding up a finger before picking the phone and bringing it to her ear. He waited for her reaction, wanting to know who this guy was to her. Brother? She came from a land filled with women who wouldn't take kindly to a man stepping on their island so obviously no. He knew damn well it was probably a love interest. With her beauty, he had no doubt. Catching himself in his thoughts, he paused. This newfound curiosity concerned him. Why he was so interested he did not know which concerned him the most.

She looked at the phone and cringed, flexing her hands in frustration. He raised an eyebrow.

"Hello," She answered and ran a hand through her still drying hair. His eyes followed the action.

"Hey, are you ok? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, I'm fine, why do you ask?" She's aware of the blue eyes watching her and refused to meet them.

"It's past eight and you said you'd meet me here."

"Oh," Diana had forgotten all about it, "Yes, I'm so sorry. The meeting was running longer than I thought and it escaped my mind. I'm getting ready as of right now and I'll be there shortly."

"Oh, ok. I'll see you in a few then?"

"Yes, I'll be there," She smiled and ignored the irritated huff coming from her left. Looking up, she watched his retreating form leave the barn. After giving one last goodbye, she hung up and followed.

. . . . .

He took a seat on the weak porch which protested with a groan and creek. Adjusting himself so he wouldn't fall through, he put half his weight on the railing to balance it out. He sighed when he felt the railing move back and forth. Just another thing to fix, he thought. He'd get Arthur to do it.

"I must be going."

He nodded in response, watching her approach and squinted as the sun rays reflected off her Wonder Woman armor. Her hair had dried but hadn't returned to its curls much to his disappointment but he found that it didn't deter her beauty. He didn't think it'd be possible to do so. She was so gorgeous, so effortlessly beautiful. He knew he wasn't the first to think that. Hell, that Trevor probably beat him to the punch but damn, he sighed, she was a sight to sore eyes.

He'd never say it aloud though.

"Brother!" A voice boomed to their left and he smiled when she jumped. She turned to see a shirtless man dragging two familiar unconscious bodies alongside him. "I have found these two trespassing on our land."

"They're with her." Clark nodded towards Diana and Arthur looked towards her. He bowed towards her in acknowledgement, his dirty blonde hair falling in front of his face as he did so. She nodded in response.

"At least one of the Kent brothers knows how to greet someone." She found herself saying and Clark raised an eyebrow towards her. Arthur barked out a laugh.

Diana was granted her first look at this Arthur and was impressed with his stature as well. He had long blonde hair that flowed freely past his shoulder and a beard almost as thick as Clark's. His eyes seemed to be as blue as the sea. Along his body were tribal tattoos and a shark tooth connected to a string hung around his neck. Unlike Clark's, his chest was hair free but he also seemed smaller.

Arthur looked towards Clark who nodded. He then threw the Barry and Hal at Diana's feet. The two groaned and began to cough up small amounts of water, clutching their lungs while doing so. Diana looked at them and rolled her eyes before poking Hal on his shoulder.

"Hmm?" He groaned in response. Arthur moved next to his brother, leaning on the opposite side of the railing.

"Do you think you are capable of flying back?" She asked. He nodded weakly and tried to activate his ring. Much to their dismay, it failed. Diana sighed before turning to Barry who was still coughing up water. She knew she'd have to carry them both back to the Watchtower for checkup, then she'd have to go back to them Embassy to clean up and prepare for her date.

Clark looked at her for a bit and could see the inner struggle. She really wanted to go on that date. He didn't know what it was but some part of him that he thought lost and gone had said, "We'll take care of them. Go on your date . . . Or whatever the hell that was."

She looked up at him from her crouched position, her blue eyes looking towards him with hopeful surprise. "Oh, no, it's fine. I need to-"

"Go, Diana." He growled and she was taken aback by the use of her first name.

"Are you sure?" She asked and his eyes ignited in irritation. Looking towards his brother, she saw him nod. "Thank you."

"Don't thank us," Arthur said in response with a knowing smile, "I mean . . . I did try to kill them. The least we can do is take care of them."

She gave them a skeptical nod before rising in the air.

"Princess."

She turned towards the infuriating beast.

He looked up at her, "Don't come back."

. . . . .

Minutes later. . .

Using his x-ray vision, he looked towards the two men still lying on the ground and sighed. "They'll be fine in a couple of minutes."

Arthur nodded, not necessarily caring but acknowledging that he heard him. He had grabbed two beers, popping both open on the edge of the kitchen counter before returning to the porch. Clark, never looking away from the sunset gladly accepted the cold beverage. They sat in silence for a couple minutes with the occasional groan from Hal and Barry here and there. It was nice, the silence. Peaceful. The wind slightly picked up and began to wisp through the corn and hay fields, making seem as if the world was whispering. The old swing behind the barn creaked softly and made a knocking sound as it hit the back of the barn wall. The lake Arthur spent most of his time in never disturbed, the creatures lurking beneath preparing for slumber. The steady heartbeat of a sleeping Martha Kent echoed through both of her boy's ears and it never strayed.

On his fourth beer Arthur broke the silence, placing his beer on the porch and dusting off his pants, "I tucked mother in. She should be good for the night. If she wakes up I'll get it."

Clark nodded in response, bringing his second bottle of beer to his lips.

"Those bills . . .," Arthur hesitated and Clark tilted his head in his general direction, "They're getting worse."

He turned back towards the sunset. "I know."

Arthur nodded, pausing for a second as he remembered a question that came to mind. He turned to Clark with a wry smile and a raised eyebrow. "So, I was stuck with those two idiots . . . What happened between you and the gorgeous Wonder Woman?"

"She wanted to talk," He replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Mhm," Arthur's brows furrowed. "So, why did I find a shield at the bottom of my lake? Hmm?"

He pulled out a golden shield, which Clark immediately recognized, covered in water and dirt.

Taking another sip of his beer, Clark said, "She was talking with ma, you know how protective I get of her and we kind of wrecked the some of the forestry beyond the lake . . . I'll clean it up and make a greenhouse."

"She carries a sword as well, you know."

Grumbling, he muttered. "You're going to look for that."

"Why me?" Arthur asked, not satisfied with looking over many acres of forestry for a sword with all the other chores he had to do around the farm.

"It has magical properties." Arthur groaned and leaned back against the porch. Clark smiled slightly and watched as the last of the sun's rays diminished behind the curve of the Earth. He wondered what she was doing in that moment, what she was wearing. Was she having a good time? Had she dressed to impress? Did she go in her Wonder Woman outfit? Did he accidentally leave a bruise on her and she was trying to cover it up? He hadn't meant to hurt her, just scare her off. Ma taught him better than that and he winced at the thought that he'd actually hurt her. Was this Steve Trevor comforting her? He was curious as to where he'd taken her. Maybe it was somewhere fancy and out of his price range. Or maybe they were at his place. Rao, he hoped not. The thoughts whirled in his head like a tornado, violent and stirring. His concern was growing quickly, mainly as to why he was so concerned with what she was doing. He had only been with her for an hour or two and she already found a place in his mind, making a home in his thoughts.

"What is on your mind, brother?" Arthur said from behind him, no doubt with another beer in his hands.

Clark knocked against the golden shield sitting between them, before taking a long sip himself, "Her."

Arthur's brows raised," And why, pray tell, is Wonder Woman on your mind?"

"She touched me and I . . .," He hesitated, feeling for the area on his chest that her hand had graced earlier,". . . I felt her."

Her warmth, the softness of her skin, the slow, steady thud of her heartbeat. He breathed in through his nose and tried desperately to remember exactly how it felt in the moment she did it.

"What are you going to do about it?" Arthur questioned with a small, wry smile on his bearded lips.

Clark shook his head, glancing up briefly at the stars which begun to emerge in the night sky before turning towards his brother. He began to pick at the wood with his finger nail.

"Nothing. Once these two wake up, we're disappearing. They got lucky putting a tracker on me. It won't happen again."

Arthur nodded.

Suddenly, before he could respond Hal shot up from his position on the ground, hand immediately going towards his mouth and stomach. Both Clark and Arthur looked towards him with an amused and slightly irritated look.

"What happened?"